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President Trump's first federal budget plan has sparked bad news for artists, as he plans to cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts.
The new budget plan would eliminate funding to the program, along with other independent cultural agencies - including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
In total, the cuts would remove $971 from the national budget, to increase spending on other agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection, Department of Defense and Homeland Security.
Since Trump's proposal, The Recording Academy president Neil Portnow has offered a response statement, which calls the decision "alarming".
"Love of music and the arts brings us together, and celebrates the richness of American culture and our spirit of curiosity and creativity." Portnow said. "Music and art serve as one of America’s greatest exports, and support jobs for creators in cities, towns and rural areas across the country."
Jane Chu, chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts, has also commented, and called the proposal disappointing: "we see our funding actively making a difference with individuals of all ages in thousands of communities, large, small, urban and rural, and in every Congressional District in the nation."
Chu contined by stating that the NEA will carry on operating until a new budget is enacted by Congress.
It is argued that not only will the move (if passed) affect artists, but will damage the way communities view art as an important part of culture in the future - with military funding taking priority.
